Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp. (Salt Lake City, UT) says it will demonstrate its new laser projection system, boasting "fidelity that exceeds the limits of the human eye," at InfoComm 2009 (June 17-19, Orlando, FL). The system, called E&S Laser Projector (ESLP 8K), will begin shipping later this year. According to the company it is the world's highest resolution production video projector.
Laser projectors with E&S's NanoPixel technology are already in use in planetarium theaters around the world, as part of the company's Digistar Laser fulldome planetarium system. With the ESLP 8K, E&S is delivering this technology to the general projection marketplace with newly available flat-screen and panoramic-screen form factors. E&S says that the new projector is also capable of displaying 3D in the highest resolution from any single projector: 4K x 4K.
The ESLP 8K laser projector system displays content the equivalent to 16 times HD 1080p resolution--or the difference between 2 million and 32 million pixels. It is powered by a set of laser light sources that offer multiple benefits, including low cost of operation. E&S claims that the lasers' hue does not degrade or shift over time, and that they yield a much wider useable color spectrum (200% of NTSC/HDTV) than is available in conventional LCoS, DLP, LCD, or other lamp-illuminated projectors.
E&S' NanoPixel silicon imaging chip is at the core of this high-resolution machine. Its 8,192 microscopic moving ribbons promise an image free of artifacts, with no visible gaps between pixels and zero persistence (smearing) in moving images. The control of these ribbons is fine enough to yield a 36-bit/pixel (12-bit/color) useable precision in intensity.
The ESLP 8K promises a surprisingly small environmental footprint: Its solid state laser light sources require only modest, quiet cooling and allow the projector to be powered from an ordinary wall outlet, thereby using significantly less power than other lower resolution 2K and 4K projectors. The laser light sources do not require periodic replacement (and disposal) as is the case with conventional lamp-driven projectors.
The projector targets commercial use in control rooms, visualization centers, education, simulation, editing, design studios, and other demanding applications, and E&S offers customization services.
Find further product information on the Evans & Sutherland website.
